I’m currently trying to choose my diary and journal system for 2018, as they are a staple of my Christmas list. I think being a stationery lover comes with a certain amount of indecisiveness and over-analysis, especially when trying to commit to a product for a year. I’ve narrowed down a selection to share with you over two posts, alongside some highly first-world-problem thoughts about each one. This first post looks at diary choices for the year – my day-to-day solution for noting down appointments, things I need to remember and all manner of jottings. Can you help me choose?

And now, for something a little different. As you may have noticed from my occasional travel carry posts (when I am prepared enough to write about them in advance), I travel fairly regularly for work. Today I’m writing about a stack of notebooks that were given to my team by Nanjing Metro.

I’ve been working in Leipzig since Monday, a city I have never visited before. As with any business trip, I meticulously planned my stationery everyday carry. I’m attending a summit consisting of several talks, panel sessions and technical visits, so my stationery carry is geared towards easy notetaking and brainstorming.

Do you ever look at the stationery you’re using and wonder how it came to be? I do. With this in mind, I recently visited G.F Smith, a paper maker. I had come across G.F Smith online when reading about various paper projects so when I saw that they have a space you can visit and a gorgeous paper art installation, I popped over one lunchtime to visit this Great British company.

In November last year I entered a competition at the newly-opened Design Museum in London, to win a NotAnotherBill gift subscription. And I won! Three months of complementary gifts came in the post, and today I’m reviewing what I received. Also, for the first time on The London Parchment I’m hosting a giveaway, to pay my luck forward that I had when I won this gift subscription.

Field Notes have just released the new Utility edition so our favourite brand are fresh on our minds. In the spirit of Field Notes season, I’m starting a mini-series, which will cover my favourite editions, and my not-so-favourites, as well as some of the ways that I’ve used some of my Field Notes in the past. I’m starting on a high with my favourite Field Notes edition: Shenandoah, the Fall 2015 COLORS edition.

After a somewhat extended break from blogging following several weeks of working abroad and holidaying, I am back to London Parchment-ing. I arrived back from Singapore last Sunday and one of my first crafty tasks was to make some homemade Christmas cards. I thought I’d share them, and chat about the materials I used to make these little cards.

I’m off to India on a business trip and have carefully compiled my travel carry that I’ll be sharing with you today. I’ll be spending more time outdoors on this trip compared to my trip to Malaysia, so my carry needs to reflect these uses. I’ve focused on packing tools that are reliable, easy to reach for and will take a beating if necessary, as well as including a couple of new products.